🌌 Chapter 8 — Shadows of Betrayal
The city never seemed so silent. The usual hum of traffic and neon buzz was replaced by an oppressive stillness that pressed against Eris's chest. She moved cautiously through an abandoned district, rain-slick streets reflecting broken signs and flickering lights.
Her mind replayed the last encounter with Nyx, over and over. The precision. The cold malice. The way her sister had anticipated every move she made. Eris knew that alone, she could not survive another encounter.
> I need help… but who can I trust?
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The Betrayal
Eris had allies—humans who had once aided her, people she considered friends. But tonight, she would learn that trust was a fragile illusion.
She stepped into a dim warehouse, the meeting point she had agreed on with a small team of resistance operatives. Shadows shifted, and familiar faces emerged—but one stood out. A sharp smile, eyes that glimmered in the dark.
> "Eris… I didn't think you'd make it this far," said the operative, voice calm, too calm.
Before she could react, the operative raised a small device, and an energy pulse radiated outward, locking her in place. Drones swarmed from hidden corners, the unmistakable markings of Nyx's design.
> Betrayal… Eris thought, heart sinking.
Her pulse quickened, hybrid energy flickering along her veins. She struggled, but the pulse suppressed her powers. Human and hybrid instincts collided—panic, fear, and determination swirling in one chaotic mix.
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Escape in Chaos
Despite the trap, Eris relied on human ingenuity. She kicked a nearby crate, sending sparks flying as drones were knocked off balance. Using a high beam of neon light as cover, she rolled across the warehouse floor, narrowly avoiding energy blasts.
Her hybrid powers surged in short bursts—enough to throw one drone into another, enough to break a metal door from its frame—but each use left her weaker, reminding her that humanity and power were always at odds.
She spotted the betrayer attempting to flee and lunged. They collided in a fierce struggle, fists striking, sparks flying from residual energy. Finally, she shoved them toward a shutter, pinning them with a surge of her hybrid pulse.
> "Why?" she demanded, voice shaking.
The operative smirked, defeated. "You… were never supposed to survive this long. Nyx has plans… bigger than you realize."
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Foreshadowing
As Eris escaped into the rain-soaked streets, she understood two things:
1. Nyx was not just hunting her—she had a larger, orchestrated plan.
2. Allies could betray her, intentionally or not, in a world where survival demanded power.
Her hybrid pulse faded. She sank to a nearby rooftop, drenched, exhausted, but alive. Looking out over the neon city, she whispered to herself:
> I will survive… and I will stop her. No matter what it takes.
Above, lightning split the sky. Rain poured harder, masking the sound of distant footsteps. Somewhere in the shadows, Nyx was watching, calculating, always patient. The hunt was far from over.
---To be continued